Legal status and economic state of the cities of Halicia within the Austrian empire (1772–1867)

Abstract

The article analyzes the legal status and economic condition of the cities of Galicia as part of the Austrian Empire (1772–1867). It is noted that urban planning activity is traditionally determined by several factors that influence the form and nature of the development of urban settlements. First, it is a factor of natural conditions – the influence of climate, geographical and topographical position, geological conditions, relief. Secondly, it is an economic factor – conditions that contribute to the development of the economy and trade, including the availability of natural resources. Thirdly, it is a security (military) factor – the ability to protect life and property during potential wars (historically, this factor was often associated with favorable natural conditions – hills, swamps, river basins). Fourthly, it is a communication factor – connection with other cities, location on trade routes. Fifth, the factor of urban composition is the conscious creation of the form and structure of the city; activity of the urban planner. Sixth, the legal factor is a set of regulatory acts that regulate the organization of the city, development both from a spatial (location) and social point of view (this factor is at the center of our research). These factors are universal in nature and operate regardless of country or culture.It has been established that urban development activity was determined by the owners of the cities: some of the owners sought to demonstrate their wealth and success. The city, which functioned effectively, was distinguished by its appearance on the landscape. However, the functioning of cities did not go beyond the model of the functioning of feudalism in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In this regard, it is worth quoting the words of tycoon Jan Zamoyski: “Cities flourish in Western Europe, because the city-state has great rights there. But since this splendor comes at the expense of noble liberty, I prefer not to have it at such a price. People’s happiness is judged not by crafts, not by walls and large buildings, which we do not lack.” This quotation well characterizes the role of private cities in the urban network of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th and 17th centuries.Urbanization on the territory of Galicia as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth differed from that of Western Europe in that it was not a matter of the central government, but mainly of private initiative. Royal foundations were rare in Poland in the 17th and 18th centuries. As a result, the share of private cities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth increased in the 17th–18th centuries. to about two-thirds. Private cities also existed in other European countries, such as in Germany, France and England, but nowhere were they as dominant as in Poland. This specific aspect of Polish urbanization played a major role in shaping the ethnic and religious structure of cities. Poles and Jews made up the majority of the inhabitants of cities and towns, while Ukrainians were mostly peasants and lived in villages and city suburbs.